Paris attractions: New sky-high dining

Well here's something out of the ordinary: a temporary rooftop restaurant with an unobstructed view of the Eiffel Tower!

This summer in Paris, the Art Home restaurant has been dropped by crane (video here) on top of the Palais du Tokyo. The ultra-edgy contemporary arts museum has a nice view of the Eiffel Tower from its plebian patio down below (price of admission: as low as a single cup of coffee). Beginning July 1, however, that view will be overshadowed by the possibility of lunch or dinner up on the roof.

It's close quarters inside that privileged perch, with room to welcome only a dozen diners for lunch (€60/$84) and dinner (€80/$111). Given so few seats, this is a tough reservation to score. Booking works like at Momofuku Ko in New York—reservations are taken online, beginning at 10 a.m., for a date exactly one month in the future. Be ready to with your finger on the mouse at 9:59!

An alternate strategy, up until bidding closed last night, was to enter the eBay battle for opening night seats. But after seeing the price for a single person rise above €1,400 ($1,950!), I decided to settle instead for a free visit.

That's right—if you're curious to see this Laurent Grasso installation for yourself, free tours are conducted daily between 3 and 5:30 p.m. (except for Mondays, when the museum, restaurant, and tours are closed), with online reservation required. If you're lucky, there might be a few lunch crumbs left on the table!

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